Rules conforming dual-purpose putter

ABSTRACT

This golf rules conforming dual-purpose putter invention is created to provide a golf putting club that can be either used to play the game of golf with the flat front face surface or be used for putting practice to train the eyes and muscles of the golfer. Precise putting practice develops the neurological sequencing of optimal skeleto-muscular effectiveness and is affected by using the radiused, ovoid back surface of the putter, to consistently strike the ball in a manner causing the ball to roll perfectly on the chosen path to and into the hole upon execution of the perfect putting stroke. This invention is for a golf putting club that provides immediate visual feedback of any positive, symmetrical, or negative, asymmetrical, contact between the planar centers of the putter and the golf ball. Imprecise contact at the putter center line, instead at a point toward the toe or the heel of the putter, and the impact point of the golf ball will cause the ball to roll in an erratic, off-axis direction. This invention has created a putter that is the weight, length, shaft angle, and center line configuration for the purposes of both practicing and playing. This dual-purpose putter invention, is significant in that it completely conforms with the worldwide equipment rules of golf so that it may be carried in the bag and used as one of the 14, allowed clubs for playing golf.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This Non-Provisional Utility Patent Application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/404,172, filed Nov. 29, 2010, which is herein referenced.

It also claims the worldwide benefits of the United States Golf Association (USGA) formal approval and Royal & Ancient Golf Association (R & A—St. Andrews Scotland) submission for approval as conforming to the rules of golf. Joint Statement of Principles and Conformance Testing: The framework that guides the actions for the formulation and enforcement of equipment rules both now and in the future. Regardless of the source, each submission is handled with the same diligence, care and confidentiality.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to golf equipment. More particularly, this invention is wholly unique due to the fact that it relates to both playing golf and practicing the technical and tactical skills of putting the golf ball. It is a new and improved method for training a golfer to develop the skills, while practicing, to consistently strike the ball with the radiused, ovoid back surface of the putter in a manner causing the ball to roll perfectly on the chosen path to and into the hole upon execution of the perfect putting stroke. Consequently, when the shaft is converted in the head for the use of the flat front surface in order to play the game by the rules, the golfer is using the same head shape, head weight, and shaft with which said golfer practiced to perfect the putting stroke.

This golf rules conforming dual-purpose putter invention embodies separate but equally purposive, distinct functionality, and consists of a putter head and shaft having reversible, convertible hosel positions creating both a legal, United States Golf Association and R & A (royal and Ancient) equipment rules conforming mallet-style golf putter for playing with the flat-face of the head; and/or putting practice allowing for the use of the radiused, ovoid back surface of the head for practice putting. The embodiment of the invention allows for use of the dual-purpose putter by right- and left-handed golfers.

A club is an implement designed to be used for striking the ball and generally comes in three forms: woods, irons and putters distinguished by shape and intended use. A putter is a club with a loft neither exceeding 10 positive nor less than 15 negative degrees designed primarily for use on the putting green. The shaft angle must diverge off the vertical axis between the head and the shaft at an angle of at least 10 degrees. The shaft must be firmly affixed at this angle is an established rule of golf which obviates the putter from being used in the fashion of a croquet mallet.

BACKGROUND

In the more than 600 year history of the game of golf, mastery of the putting stroke has been the desire, compulsion of every golfer. The putter is one of the maximum of 14 clubs carried by the golfer that must conform to the worldwide equipment rules established by the United States Golf Association and the Royal & Ancient Golf Association, St. Andrews, Scotland. Since 1894, The USGA and R & A have continually tested golf equipment for conformity to the Rules. Without such rigorous equipment testing and research programs, advances in technology could soon overtake skill as the major factor in success.

Golf is, consequently, imbued with and steeped in the sociological influences, the adherence to established rules, and equipment that is traditional and customary in form and make—the Plain in Shape Rule (Section 4a—Rules/USGA, R & A).

The putter differs from the other 13 clubs in that its primary purpose is accuracy instead of distance. The rules-conforming flat, front surface face of the putter is designed to cause the golf ball to be rolled, rather than lofted, to and into the cup of a golf hole thereby requiring the fewest number of strokes on the golf hole green.

The physiological and neurological sequencing skills requisite of mastering the putting stroke are particularly significant due to the fact that the putter is the most-often stroked club by the golfer. Consequently, a precisely-practiced putting stroke is essential to the outcome of a golfer's score on each of the 18 holes during the game of golf.

A principal reason why golfers do not have mastery of the putting stroke is that a golfer does not consistently maintain a symmetrical relationship between the center line of the putter face surface and the optimal impact point at the sensible horizon on the center line of the golf ball. While the visual perception of the contour of the putting surface of the green, the grain of the grass; the distance between the ball and the cup, and the speed at which the ball will travel are influential on the outcome of the execution of the putting stroke, it is the precision of striking the ball by the putter at the optimal impact point that is critical to causing the ball to travel into the cup in the fewest number of strokes. This symmetry is essential in both direction and to transmit the immediate perpendicular rotational force transferred from the plane of the putter surface to the golf ball at the moment of inertia.

Of course, since 1894, many practice devices and putter shapes have been introduced to help master the putting stroke. However, these pieces of equipment are typically novelties of shapes, sizes, and materials that do not, cannot, and will not conform to the rules of golf in order to be carried and used as one of the 14 clubs allowed in a golfer's bag.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This rules conforming dual-purpose putter invention benefits from the 600-year history of the golf game's worldwide traditions of how to play and practice the game using equipment that both meets and does not meet the rules of the game as codified by the United States Golf Association (USGA) and the Royal and Ancient (R & A) Golf Association since the associations' unification in 1984.

Consequently, this invention of a rules conforming dual-purpose putter has evolved through the processes of conceptual development, configuration, design, and dimensional sketches and mechanical drawing, construction materials research and application feasibility, prototyping of scale models and actual size fabrications, application and examination of the particular golf putter equipment rules and standards, Provisional Patent Application, final, limited manufacture of the dual-purpose putter for examination by the USGA and R & A Equipment Standards Technical Departments; and submission of this Non-Provisional Patent Application by this inventor, Dean G. Tonkin, ID# 516423 on Apr. 11, 2011.

Consequently, it is herewith summarized that:

It is the object of this invention to provide a golf putting club that both can be used to play the game of golf with the flat front face surface and be used to practice to train the eyes and muscles of the golfer, using the radiused, ovoid back surface of the putter, to consistently strike the ball in a manner causing the ball to roll perfectly on the chosen path to and into the hole upon execution of the perfect putting stroke.

It is the object of this invention to provide a golf putting club that provides immediate visual feedback of any positive, symmetrical, or negative, asymmetrical, contact between the planar centers of the putter and the golf ball. Imprecise contact at the putter center line, instead at a point toward the toe or the heel of the putter, and the impact point of the golf ball will cause the ball to roll in an erratic, off-axis direction.

It is another object of this invention to create a putter that is the weight, length, shaft angle, and center line configuration for the purposes of both practicing and playing.

It is another object of this invention to conform to the rules of golf so that it may be carried in the bag and used as one of the 14, allowed clubs for playing the game of golf.

It is another object of this invention to meet the dimensional and configuration measurements and requisite shapes as stipulated in the rules of golf governed, worldwide, by the United States Golf Association and the Royal & Ancient Golf Association.

It is yet another object of this invention to be a golf putting club that can be easily made with materials and manufacturing methods readily available worldwide.

It is also another object of this invention is, preferably, that its plain in shape body be machined from 303 stainless steel for the shore scale, durometer hardness and close-tolerance precision capability of the steel in the manufacturing process. The body, for the sole purpose of variety in gram- and ounce-weight, may also be machined or cast of such materials as titanium, aluminum, and brass.

It is still another object of this invention to provide golf putting club that is is compatible with stainless steel metric- and inch-dimension inserts, couplings, fasteners, right- and left-handed double-bend shafts and straight shafts of standard, mid-, and long lengths; and grips that are manufactured worldwide.

In accordance with the invention, these and other objects are accomplished by providing a dual-purpose golf putting club comprising a body having a shape that has both a flat face surface for play and a back face surface shape for practice that is coplanar, radiused, ovoid thereby allowing for the benefits of converting the shaft position for right- and/or left-handed golfers with which to practice and/or play.

In accordance with the invention, the body of the putter's front putting face and back practice face are dependent on side-swing type putting motion by the golfer gripping the club to make contact with the golf ball as cited, for example, in Provisional Application No. 60/679,303, filed May 10, 2005 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,833,108 US 2006/0258472 A1.

Mastery of the putting stroke by using the dual-purpose putter for both (a.) practice is predicated on the neurological sequencing of visual- and skeleto-muscular-precisioning in matching the optimal impact points of the putter and the core dimension of that of a standard, worldwide Rules of Golf, golf ball and/or that of the practice device as cited, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. D586,419, dated Feb. 10, 2009. And for (b.) is predicated on transferring the neurological sequencing and the increase in concentration, focus on the results-oriented objectives from practice to playing the game of golf with the same putter. The conversion is simply done by relocation of the shaft position to allow the use of the flat front face surface as described in this summary of the invention.

The body surfaces and shaft connection system of this rules conforming, dual-purpose putter invention, preferably, are impervious to damage or breakage under conventional and reasonable golf putting practice and playing circumstances and situations; and develops mastery of the putting stroke through visual and kinesthetic sensory patterning that increases confidence of the outcomes the putting stroke and lowers the 18-hole score.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

There are shown in the drawings embodiments of the invention that are presently preferred, it being understood, however, that as long as the invention conforms with the rules of golf, it is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown, wherein.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the putter showing a possible orientation of the right-handed operator and a golf ball for actual playing configuration with the putter.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the putter showing a possible orientation of the right-handed operator and a golf ball for putting practice configuration with the putter.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the putter showing a possible orientation of the left-handed operator and a golf ball for actual playing configuration with the putter.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the putter showing a possible orientation of the left-handed operator and a golf ball for putting practice configuration with the putter.

FIG. 5 is a dimensional side view of the contour from flat-face front surface to the radiused, ovoid back-face surface of the putter.

FIG. 6 is a dimensional top view of the putter face, the contour from flat front to radiused, ovoid back face, the center line groove, the shaft and roll pin insert holes, and the rules conforming specifications of a double-bend shaft.

FIG. 7 is a dimensional front-face view of the putter showing the orientation of the vertical, 90-degree, convertible shaft-hole positions for putting and practice using a double-bend shaft for right-and left-handed golfers.

FIG. 8 is a dimensional front-face view of the putter showing the orientation of the angled, not less than 10-degree, convertible shaft-hole positions for putting and practice using a straight shaft for right-and left-handed golfers as embodied in FIGS. 5 and 6.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the putter showing the bottom surface and counter-sunk holes for the insertion of the Allen key fastening screw for the top-inserted shaft positions for putting and practice as well as the contour of the radiused, ovoid side and back-face surface.

FIG. 10 are the drawings showing the double-bend and straight shafts; and the dimensional sub-sets that comprise the heat-to-shaft assembly components: the shaft-insert sleeve and Allen key screw, the Allen key head of the screw, the threaded ID and hexagonal OD of the shaft-insert sleeve, the rotation-retainer roll pin, and the Allen key tool used to firmly affix the head to the shaft. 

1. A dual-purpose golf putter of claim 1, wherein it relates to both playing golf and practicing the technical and tactical skills of putting the golf ball. It is a new and improved method for training a golfer to develop the skills, while practicing, consistently to strike the ball with the radiused, ovoid back surface of the putter in a manner causing the ball to roll perfectly on the chosen path to and into the hole upon execution of the perfect putting stroke. Consequently, when the shaft is converted in the head for the use of the flat front surface in order to play the game by the rules, the golfer is using the same head shape, head weight, and shaft with which said golfer practices to perfect the putting stroke.
 2. A dual-purpose golf putter of claim 2, wherein the top surface defines the geometry of the co-planar alignments of the overall, plain mallet-head shape and platform of the preferred embodiments.
 3. A dual-purpose golf putter of claim 3, wherein the preferred flat front face is perpendicular to the top and bottom surfaces or, according to the rules of golf may diverge from vertical with a loft neither exceeding ten positive nor 15 negative degrees for use when playing the game of golf on the putting green.
 4. A dual-purpose golf putter of claim 4, wherein the side view reveals a radiused embodiment from the toe of the front surface and extending to the ovoid back-face surface and continuing the radiused side to the heel.
 5. A dual-purpose golf putter of claim 5, wherein the back-face ovoid surface is the continuation of the radiused side surface and the obverse of the flat-face front surface.
 6. A dual-purpose golf putter of claim 6, wherein a grooved centerline is embodied to establish a visual reference to the optimal striking point of the flat-face front surface for play and the ovoid back-face surface for practice.
 7. A dual-purpose golf putter of claim 7, wherein a standard, rules conforming, commercially manufactured golf ball is positioned at the centerline groove of the optimal striking point of the flat-face front surface for play and ovoid back-face surface for practice.
 8. A dual-purpose golf putter of claim 8, wherein a top surface, at the heel and toe positions, embodies a 90-degree, vertical shaft and roll pin hosel socket holes drilled at an inside diameter of 9.53 mm, ⅜-in to accept the right- or left-handed double-bend shaft and its rotation-resistant roll pin assembly having an outside diameter of 9.5 mm, 0.374 in.
 9. A dual-purpose golf putter of claim 9, wherein a top surface, at the heel and toe positions, embodies hosel socket holes of at least a 10-degree angle drilled at an inside diameter of 9.53 mm, ⅜-in for insertion of the shaft and roll pin in order to accept a straight shaft and its rotation-resistant roll pin assembly having an outside diameter of 9.5 mm, 0.374 in.
 10. A dual-purpose golf putter of claim 10, wherein a right- or left-handed shaft and its spring steel retainer roll pin are inserted in either the toe or heel positions for putting practice or for putting while playing.
 11. A dual-purpose golf putter of claim 11, wherein a commercially-manufactured stainless steel shaft of double-bend or straight shaft configurations is used and only if it conforms with the rules of golf, now and in the future.
 12. A dual-purpose golf putter of claim 12, wherein a commercially-manufactured grip consisting of a material added to the shaft to enable the player to obtain a firm hold and does not violate the rules of golf for grips that conform now or in the future.
 13. A dual-purpose golf putter of claim 13, wherein the side wall height is 25 mm, 1.0-in.
 14. A dual-purpose golf putter of claim 14, wherein the hosel socket (7) is drilled to a depth of 19 mm, 0.748 in and roll pin slot depth of 1/4 in.
 15. A dual-purpose golf putter of claim 15, wherein the edges of the top and bottom surfaces are chamfered by 1.0 mm, 0.0039-in to minimally flatten 90-degree the edges of the 303 stainless steel head.
 16. A dual-purpose golf putter of claim 16, wherein the spring steel roll pin of 3.3 mm, 0.1290-in is driven into the inserted shaft at height of 12.7 mm, ½-in.
 17. A dual-purpose golf putter of claim 17 wherein the width from heel-to-toe of the flat face-surface of the putter head is 89 mm, 3-½-in and which distance is (a.) greater than the distance from the face to the back, (b.) less than or equal to 177.8 mm, 7.0-in, (c.) greater than or equal to two-thirds of the distance from front to back, and (d.) if the heel-to-toe distance of the putting face, for example, is defined by any non-metal, plastic or polyethylene-type material embedded in the metal body of the putter head, it is to be greater than or equal to half of the distance of the full width of the putter head to conform with the rules of golf for putters.
 18. A dual-purpose golf putter of claim 18, wherein the depth from the flat front face surface to the radiused, ovoid back face surface of the dual-purpose putter is 57 mm, 0.2.2441-in.
 19. A dual-purpose golf putter of claim 19, wherein the bottom, sole surface of the dual-purpose putter is configured as a mirror image of the top surface with the exception of a grooved centerline and shaft hosel socket holes. Claim 19 embodies the toe and heel drilled and countersunk holes of 0.635 mm, ¼-in to accept the 19.05 mm, ¾-in, 1024 stainless steel Allen head screws.
 20. A dual-purpose golf putter of claim 20, wherein the countersink is to fasten the Allen head screws flush with the bottom, sole surface.
 21. A dual-purpose golf putter of claim 21, wherein the 9.3 mm×0.750 mm Allen head screw is both flush and firmly affixing the putter head and the shaft. According to the rules of golf, it must not be too easy for a player to make adjustments during the course of a stipulated round. This is interpreted to mean that adjustments must require the use of a special tool, such as an Allen key, a Phillips screwdriver or a custom-made tool or device. It must not be possible to make the adjustment just by using the fingers, or some other object which would normally be kept in a golfer's pocket, such as a coin or a pitch-mark repair tool.
 22. A dual-purpose golf putter of claim 22, wherein the commercially-manufactured golf shafts preferably affixed to the embodiments of the dual-purpose putter are those having a double-bend for the 90-degree hosel socket and a straight shaft for the hosel socket of at least a 10-degree angle off vertical.
 23. A dual-purpose golf putter of claim 23, wherein the 0.750 mm, ¾-in hexagonal, zinc plated stainless steel insert of 8.0 mm, 0.315-in is at the inside diameter dimension of the shafts and the insert coupling has an inside diameter that is 1024 pattern threaded for fastening with the Allen key screw.
 24. A dual-purpose golf putter of claim 24, wherein the Allen key screw head of 9.3 mm and its key slot for a 3.175 mm, ⅛-inch Allen key tool is illustrated.
 25. A dual-purpose golf putter of claim 25, wherein the outside diameter of, and the 1024 threaded inside diameter of the hexagonal zinc plated stainless steel insert coupling are illustrated.
 26. A dual-purpose golf putter of claim 26, wherein the preferred 3.175 mm, ⅛-inch Allen key tool is illustrated.
 27. A dual-purpose golf putter of claim 27, wherein the through hole is drilled and countersunk in the bottom, sole surface to link the 90-degree hosel socket of the top surface in order to firmly affix the putter head and the double-bend shaft for practicing putting or playing according to the rules of golf.
 28. A dual-purpose golf putter of claim 28, wherein the through hole is drilled and countersunk in the bottom, sole surface to link the shaft at least 10-degrees off the vertical axis hosel socket of the top surface in order to firmly affix the putter head and the straight golf shaft for practicing putting or playing according to the rules of golf.
 29. A dual-purpose golf putter of claim 29, wherein the broken lines are to designate the entirety—height, width, depth, top, bottom/sole, radiused sides, flat front face, ovoid back face, shafts, and the mechanical elements of holes and connecting fastener devices—of the embodiment of the invention. 